Migrant workers forced to stay in quarantine even in mourning period

Two Nepali migrant workers, Rajendra Prasad Bhatta and Tara Bhatta of Sunarya Rural Municipality in the district working in India were on the way home owing to the threat of deadly COVID-19 outbreak last month.

They reached the Indo-Nepal border but were stopped there due to COVID threat and were kept in a quarantine. They were waiting for beautiful days for returning home but unfortunately they were informed that their father passed away on May 13. They tried to reach home to attend last rites of their father but failed and were compelled to stay at the quarantine of Jhulaghat itself for mourning.

Similarly, another migrant worker of Purchaudi Municipality-7 in the district also went through the same painful experience as he lost his mother on May 14 and is mourning at the same quarantine.

Likewise, Krishna Singh Dhami of Sigas Rural Municipality-9 in the same district is also staying in the same quarantine though he was informed that his wife passed away on May 12.

According to Indian journalist Pramod Kumar Bhatta, they tried their best to return home but failed.

On the other hand, Baitadi chief district officer Ananda Poudel claimed that process to return them back home was delayed by Indian side. He added that they were consulting with Indian authority to return them back.